Traditional light fixtures presently used in a typical office or commercial environments comprise a troffer with at least one fluorescent lamp to illuminate a space. For many years the most common fluorescent lamps for use in indoor lighting have been the linear T5 (⅝ inch diameter), T8 (1 inch diameter), and the T12 (1½ inch diameter). Such bulbs are inefficient and have a relatively short lamp life. Thus, efforts have been made to identify suitable alternative illumination sources for indoor lighting applications. Light emitting diodes (“LEDs”) have been identified as one alternative to traditional fluorescent bulbs.
An LED typically includes a diode mounted onto a die or chip, where the diode is surrounded by an encapsulant. The die is connected to a power source, which, in turn, transmits power to the diode. An LED used for lighting or illumination converts electrical energy to light in a manner that results in very little radiant energy outside the visible spectrum. LEDs are extremely efficient, and their efficiency is rapidly improving. For example, the lumen output obtained by 20 LEDs may soon be obtained by 10 LEDs.
However, in comparison to simply changing a light bulb in a conventional light fixture, exchanging an existing fluorescent fixture for a light fixture that uses LEDs as a light source can be labor intensive and costly. Such replacement typically requires access to the area above the ceiling. Environmental concerns, such as asbestos contamination and asbestos removal, become an issue when disturbing the ceiling. Moreover, the area above the ceiling collects dirt and dust, which can dislodge during LED replacement and thereby increase the time and cost of clean-up after installation. Additionally, exposed electrical wiring is common in such areas, which creates a safety hazard for workers removing old fixtures. A licensed electrician may be required to install the new fixtures based upon common safety codes. Thus, businesses and consumers are reticent to invest in a new LED light fixture when the effort and costs are compared to maintaining an existing fluorescent light fixture.
Efforts have also been made to retrofit an existing fluorescent light fixture with an LED light source. However, existing fluorescent light fixtures may come in any number of different sizes and configurations. Specifically, LED retrofit kits may not be generally compatible with existing fluorescent light fixtures. Oftentimes, a given LED retrofit kit may only be compatible with existing light fixtures that share a common mounting arrangement. Even if the LED retrofit kit is compatible, it may be difficult to install, particularly for a single worker. Therefore, there exists a need for an LED retrofit kit that is generally compatible with existing light fixtures, and that may be easily installed by a single worker.